Related to the integrity of Master Data is the quality of Reporting. The organization of data has limited value unless the data can provide value-based information to the company in the form of reporting. However, the SAP implementation team does not always complete the design for reports until after installation and initial implementation steps are completed. This order of events can have many reasons. The one main reason is that the Master Data must be organized and meet quality expectations for the reports to be able to meet those same standards.

A common mistake companies will make is to have IT the exclusive owner of Master Data. In a recent SAPnsight Breakfast Huddle, the issue was raised that having master data exclusively belong to IT can cause implementation problems, Implementations can occur without input or testing from business users. Improvements requested by the user community after implementation are disruptive to standard business processes. To have sustainable Master Data Integrity, build a sound and repeatable process in your company to implement and support accurate master data.

The SAP Super User team should be engaged in any Master Data implementations. Business requirements on reporting and procedures need to be brought into the implementation process early.

SAPinsight holds Breakfast Huddles for SAP Super Users to discuss issues such as Master Data and Reporting. These Breakfast Huddles are being held and are being planned in different cities throughout the United States. Discussions on important issues such as these are covered. For more information or if you want to host a Breakfast Huddle in your city, contact Ashley Luttrell At SAPinsight.

One thought on “Super Users Should be Involved In Master Data Implementations”

I find it hard to believe that super users are not the drivers of Master Data for SAP projects after all these years( I became SAP in 92 ); its not that I don’t know that some organizations do not put them in charge, its that I find it hard to believe. Just so everyone is clear I am talking about; Material Masters, Vendor, Customer, etc. When I was at SAP in the 90s, I taught Master Data many times, by its very design it requires users( super ), get involved in the companies definition, and use of Master Data.
My expertise is Supply/Demand Chain Planing, and Costing. That requires detailed knowledge of Master Data, and the details of the tables that support: FI/CO/MM/PP/SD. Costing a Product in SAP, demands that level of knowledge of master data, because inconsistencies in the data causes flags to go off in the costing of the product.
Attention to the detail of master data up front mitigates the costing, and reporting from the system near the end.